Amusement apparatus.



0. A. PRESSEY. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1908.

930,613. I Q Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. PRESSEY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B. PRESSEY,

I OF DALLAS, TEXAS. AMUSEIEENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application filed July 1, 1908. Serial No. 441,315.

'- which the following is a specification.

I stantially level.

My invention relates to new and useful, improvements 1n amusement apparatuses and more particularly to a fishing game.

The object of the invention is to provide a suitable tank or rece tacle in the form of a canal filled with liquld to the proper height and means for agitating or. moving the liquid so as to cause it to continually move as a current together with images adapted to float in or upon the liquid arranged to be caught with a hook and bearing prize symbols or identification marks.

Finally the object of the inventlon is to provide an apparatus of the character described that will be strong durable, eflicient and simple and comparatively inexpensive to. construct, also one in which the several partswill not be liable to get out of working order. a

With the above and other objects in View,

' in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view, of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line m-a: of Fig. 1, Fig.- 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the images, and Fig. 4 is an underside view of one of the images.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the tank which is arranged in the form of a continuous canal. It is to be understood that this tank may be of any convenient size, shape, form or material, that shown in, the drawing being of a general rectangular form having a central opening or space 2.

The bottom of the tank is preferably sub- The tank is filled to a desirable height with a suitable liquid which may be transparent, semi 7 transparent or non-transparent or opaque. It is preferable to render the liquid non-transparent either by artificial means or by employing an opaque liquid, as submerged bodies floating in the liquid will be concealed, thus producing a more pleasing and interesting game.

At some convenient oint in the tank means for agitating the liquid to cause it to travel around the tank as a current is provided. Various devices may be employed and I have shown a paddle wheel 3 fixed on a shaft 5 extending transversely across one side of the tank and mounted in bearings 6 supported on the upper edges of the tank as is shown in. Fig. 1. On its outer end, the

shaft is provided with a power .wheel 7 to which motion is suitably transmitted to revolve the paddle wheel, although the latter may be revolved by any suitable means. Only the lower portion of the paddle wheel enters the liquid, and the wheel is of such diameter as to cause its blades or paddles to pass some distance above the bottom of the tank so as to provide a passage therebetween, the sides of the paddle wheel revolving in close proximity to the sides of the tank.

In playing the game or using the apparatus, the player is provided with a pole and line which he holds over the tank as indicated at 8 in Figs. 1 and 2, the line beof fishing reduces itself to a matter of chance or guessing upon the part of the fisher, as to where the images are submerged in the non-transparent liquid. However, as

the images move through the tank, they will be caughtv and pulled out of the liquid by the fisher. Of course if the images floated upon the liquid or were submerged. in a transparent liquid, the operation of fishing would become a matter of skill.

It is obvious that the bodies or images which float in the tank may be made to rep resent various land animals, insects, reptiles and other creatures, as well as aquatic ani- .mals,' insects, reptiles and other creatures.

Of course the most natural aquatic creature to be represented is a fish and therefore in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown an image representing a fish, but I wish it clearly understood that the invention is not to be limited by this showing.

The image 9 in theform of a fish in Figs. '3 and 4, is provided at its head with a: forwardly projecting rin or loop 10 which is adapted to be engage by the hook. When it is desired to have the image or.fish float submerged, it is provided with a'suitable weight such as a recess 11 filled with shotor other metal 12 and confined by a plate 13. This weight being located at the head of the fish causes it .to float at an an 1e with the ring 10 directed downward as s own in Fig. 2, which causes it to be more readily engaged bythe hook of the fishing line.

It is apparent that this game of fishing can be made more interesting by providing difierent symbols or numberson the fish and have each fish as it is caught award a certain number of points or a rize according to the number or symbol it ears. In Fig. 4, I have shown a number placed on the plate 1.3 and a cover plate 14 adapted to be swung over the plate 13 to conceal the number, thus it the fish were floatin in transparent water, it would be impossib e for the fisher to see the number. Various ways of placing the number on the ima e and concealin the same may be devisetf In Fig. 2 it Wlll be noted that the fish float backward with the ring 10 projected downward and passing comparatlvely close to the bottom of the tank so as to be caught by the hook15 of the pole and line should it happen to lie in the path in'which the fish floats.

What I claim, is;

1. I11 an amusement apparatus, a tank for containing liquid, means for agitating the liquid, and images adapted to be carried around by the current, and means for causing the images to move tail end first.

2. In an amusement apparatus, a tank for containing liquid, means for agitating the liquid, an object adapted to be moved about the tank by the current, hook engaging means on one end of the object, and means for causing the object to move with the hook-engaging means hindmost.

3. In an amusement apparatus, a tank for containing liquid, means for agitating the liquid, an object adapted to be moved about the tank by the current, hook-engaging means on one end of the object, and means for causing the object to move with the hook-engaging means hindmost and in a lower plane than the remainder of the object.

4. In an amusement apparatus, objects constructed of buoyant material, hook-engaging means on one end thereof, and means for causing the objects to float submerged and at an angle with the end which is provided with the hook-engaging means lowermost when the objects are placed within liquid.

5. In an amusement apparatus, objects constructed of buoyant material, hook-engaging means on one end thereof and weights 1n the same endcausing the objects to oat submerged and at an an l'e, with the end which is provided .with the hook-engaging means lowermost when the objects are placed within liquid.

6. In an amusement apparatus, objects constructed of buoyant material, hook-engaging means provided on a portion of each object, and means carried by the objects adjacent the portions equipped with the hookengaging means to submerge the objects when placed within a moving body of liquid and to cause said portions to move hindmost and in a lower plane.

7. In an amusement apparatus, a tank for containing liquid, means for agitating the liquid, objects constructed of buoyant material and adapted to be carried around the tank by the current, rings on one end of each object, wei hts in the same end sufficient to submerge tie objects and to cause only the ends of the objects equipped with the rings to drag along the bottom of the tank and to trail behind the other portions of the objects.

8. In an amusement apparatus, a tank for containing liquid, means for agitating the liquid, objects constructed of buoyant material and adapted to be carried around the tank by the current, rings on one end of each object, weights in the same end sufiicient to submerge the objects and to cause only the ends of the objects equipped with the rings to drag along the bottom of the tank and to trail behind the other portions of the objects, the objects being each provided with a mark of identification, and a cover plate conforming to the contour of the object. concealing the said mark.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. PRESSEY. 

